


Man in Black, Supernatural S15 Ep20

by Kilgore_Trout_0



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Episode Fix-it, Fix-It, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, POV Dean Winchester, Protective Dean Winchester, Season15 ep20, alt-ending, fan-fix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27597587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kilgore_Trout_0/pseuds/Kilgore_Trout_0
Summary: Three months after Jack walked off into the sunset and something was scratching at the back of Dean’s mind. A constant nagging, that only grew louder when he slept. Sam and him were finally free from chuck’s game, but something felt like it was missing, and he couldn’t remember what.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Man in Black, Supernatural S15 Ep20

**Author's Note:**

> This is meant to be an alt-ending for the series finale.  
> It’s written in a hybrid style. I wanted it to read like a story but still have the feel of an episode.  
> My own take on the end of fifteen years of Supernatural, before I get devastated on Nov 19th.  
> (My first fan fiction.)

Dean woke with a start in the double bed motel room. It was morning and he’d been waking up like this a lot since Jack walked off into the sunset three months earlier. Something scratching at the back of his mind, like he’d forgotten about something but couldn’t figure out what. It was a constant nagging, that only got louder when he slept.

The bed beside him was unmade but empty. Sam must have been out for another obnoxious run. Dean slowly brought his feet to the ground where several empty beer bottles clattered and rolled across the floor. He ran a hand over his face, as if he could wipe away the ongoing hangover. He gave up quickly on the idea of feeling anything but awful. Picking up the whisky bottle on his side table, he drained the last bit, hardly enough to make a difference.

He knew he’d been drinking too much lately. Every morning wondering why he felt the need to go so far into that sweet oblivion, but he didn’t know. Still, every night, when the hunts were over, he couldn’t help wanting to feel numb. It always returned and drinking was the only thing he could think to do.

Sam let himself into the room. Sweat pants and pit stains, with a water bottle and a news paper tucked under one arm.

“Hey man, you’re alive!” Sam said, tossing the water bottle in Dean’s direction.

Dean didn’t try to catch it, only deflecting it from hitting him in the face.

“Another long night. I got to tell you man if you keep going like this you’ll need a new liver by next month.”

“Shut up.” Dean leaned back on the bed.

“Anyway.” Sam slapped the paper down on the table. “I caught us another case.”

“What? Already?” Dean pressed his eyes, then sat back up. “We just took out a Vamp nest last night, take a break.”

“Sorry man, but I think we should check this one out.”

Dean looked at Sam. Something about his smile felt, off. He couldn’t put his finger on what. The ringing in his head intensified, and he thought he heard someone behind him say his name. He turned, to find nothing.

“Um, are you okay man?” Sam watched him, worried.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Dean checked behind him again. “It kinda,” he paused. “sounded like jack.”

“Jack’s in heaven Dean. Maybe we should take tonight off, from hunting AND drinking.”

#

The Next Town Over-

Dean opened the door to another motel room, Sam following behind, mid conversation. 

“I’m just saying Sammy, all the monsters, all the crap we deal with, how come we are the only ones taking care of this? All these years of hunting and never once have we run into other hunters. Doesn’t that feel weird to you?”

They drop their bags on their respective beds.

“I mean, I guess. But it’s not like this is run of the mill stuff. I mean it’s not like the average Joe Blow off the street can summon the empty like you did, or take out Chuck.”

“Of course not, but I’m not talking about the big players. I just mean small time stuff. Years we been doing this on our own. Our own research and leg work and something about it just ain't sitting right.” Dean stopped, set down the shot gun he’d unpacked, and fixed Sam with a stair. “Don’t you just feel like something is off, or missing?”

Sam looked at him confused and worried. “I don’t know man, I never really thought about it.”

#

Grave Yard, Night -

Dean tossed the shovel up from the bottom of the grave and it landed in the dirt pile above. He took his flask from his inside pocket and had a long swig.

“Seriously?” Sam said exhaustedly.

“Yep.” Dean recapped the flask and climbed out of the grave. “Okay, let’s adios this vengeful bitch and hit the liquor store on the way home.” The scratching in his mind was getting to him and he needed many drinks, as soon as possible.

The voice called to him again. “Please Dean.”

Dean spun around, looking into the darkness of the cemetery. His head hummed like there were bees inside.

“What?” Sam asked.

“What.” Dean turned back. “Nothing, just do it.”

Sam doused the bones in lighter fluid and flicked the match in. They watched the flames a moment. Then Dean’s head erupted in a wave of pain, dropping him to his knees.

“Dean!” Sam crouched down. “Dean!”

Hard Cut-

Dean’s eyes snapped open, he was neatly tucked into a fresh bed, his own bed in the bunker. He looked sideways to find he had an IV attached to his arm. And that wasn’t all, there was something else strange, taped to his leg. Holy shit was that a catheter? A tube, shoved up his,… and some how that wasn’t even the most shocking part. Jack sat in the chair next to the bed.

“Dean!” Jack looked elated. He ran to the door and called down the hall for Sam.

Sam sprinted down the hall and burst into the room. He was sporting a full on mountain man beard and looked like he’d been awake for days.

“You’re awake,” Sam stated the obvious.

“Yeah.” Dean struggled to sit up. He would worry about the tube later.

“Jack? What the hell are you doing here? What did that bitch do to me to get you to show?”

Sam and Jack shared a concerned look.

“Who?” Sam asked.

Dean looked at him confused. “Linda whatever, the vengeful spirit.” As he spoke Dean realized for the first time in months the itching and buzzing in his head had stopped.

“Dean what are you talking about?”

Dean looked at the two of them like they were crazy.

“In Iowa, the hunt we were on. How long have I been out? Was the dick tube totally necessary?”

Sam sat down on the chair next to the bed.

“Dean, I don’t know what you’ve been experiencing while you’ve been out, but Jack and I haven’t seen you since you and Cas left to go kill Death.”

Hearing the name broke the damn in Dean’s head. The damn that’d been keeping back the years of memories. The wall that had been scratching at his brain. The memories returned all at once, Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, even Cas, had all been behind that wall.

#

The Bunker Library-

After dressing and gathering himself in privet Dean came out to talk with Sam and Jack.

“What ah,… What happened?” Dean asked.

Sam was surprised. He expected Dean to explain first, but clearly his brother wasn’t in a good place.

“Well, it’s bad, everyones gone, like everyone. We think it’s the whole planet.”

Dean nodded with a dead stare into nowhere .

Sam went on. “ We got everyone to the silo and even with the warding they all vanished.On the way back we realized it wasn’t just them. So we figured it had to be Chuck. I was afraid you were gone too. But when we got here, we found you…” Sam tapered off.

Dean looked up and met his eyes.

“What were you thinking?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know man.” Dean shook his head and looked away.

“Dean tell us what happened.”

Dean took a deep breath and let out an even deeper sigh.

“Cas didn’t just disappear the way you’re talking about. It was death, she had us trapped and Cas, well Cas summoned the empty. He had some deal with it and it took him and it ganked death too. He saved me, again.” Dean’s face was set with a harsh grimace.

“Is that,” Jack started to ask, then almost felt like he was over stepping, but he had to know. “Is that why you did that spell, because of Cas?”

“Because of everything. I mean, I don’t know.” Dean just shook his head, not knowing what to say about it. Then he saw Jack’s face, still just a kid. He recognized the look from seeing it in the mirror, the face of a kid who lost his dad. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have stopped him.”

Jack nodded, stood up and walked away. Leaving Sam and Dean alone.

Sam took a deep breath. “So, Cas gots sucked into the empty and instead of calling me, you got drunk and played with dark magic? We’re lucky that spell didn’t turn your mind to jelly,” Sam said quietly.

“Am I?” Dean asked.

Sam gave him a rage filled look.

“Okay, I’m sorry, the book said it ‘removed the pain’. I didn’t know it would send me to La La coma land.”

“Or maybe you just didn’t care. Look, I get it, we’ve lost a lot, hell we’ve lost everything. I’m sorry about Cas too. But I need you if we are going to figure this one out. You can’t do anything like that again.”

“I won’t,” Dean said sharply. “Let’s just move on. How did you break the spell anyway?”

“I didn’t. It was Jack, he’s been in there pretty much everyday trying to reach you.”

Dean wanted to go talk to Jack, but what else was there to say. Jack lost Cas because of him.

“That’s not the only thing Jack’s been doing,” Sam added. “Whatever Billy did to him, turning him into that bomb and sending him to the empty like that, it made him into some sort of vacuum.”

“Vacuum?”

“Like for power, or energy. He’s been going out and sucking the life out of plants and fields to slowly power up.”

“Power up for what?” Dean asked.

“Whatever we need I guess.”

“Okay, whats the deal with Chuck? You said I’ve been out for three months. What have you found out since then?”

“Not much, the only info we are sure of is the old info.”

“And what’s that.”

“That Death reaps God.”

“But Billy is gone,” Dean pointed out. “So what, we are looking for new death?”

“Basically, the only problem is that means a reaper needs to die. Since there are no people on earth to reap, no reapers. Maybe Chuck got rid of them too?”

“So what the hell do we do?” Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. “Keep looking I guess.”

Dean walked down the hall till he reached Jack’s open door. Jack was sitting at the edge of his bed staring off into nothing. Dean tapped a knuckle against the door. Jack pulled himself from his revery. He put a smile on his face that didn’t quite make it to his eyes.

“Come in Dean.” He turned to him. “I’m glad you woke up.”

“Yeah thanks for that.” Dean pulled a chair over to sit next to him. “Listen about Cas, I wish…”

Jack cut him off. “It’s okay, it’s good.”

Dean opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Jack went on. “I knew about the deal.”

Dean looked at him surprised.

“I always wondered. I mean I thought it meant he would be around a long time. But,” he paused and a real smile crossed his face as he looked at Dean. “It makes sense. I’m glad Cas found his happiness.”

Dean gave him a tense smile and had to take a harsh sniff to keep it all together. “Me too,” he nodded and he stood up. He patted Jack on the shoulder and left the room.

#

A Few Days Later-

Sam entered the Bunker with bags of provisions, coming down the steps to find Jack and Dean waiting for him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. He didn’t like the looks on their faces.

“We think we found something and have a plan,” Dean said.

“That’s great!”

Jack and Dean looked at each other. “You’re not going to like it.”

Jump Cut,Arguing-

“This is a bad plan,” Sam yelled.

Dean yells back in his older brother voice, ”It’s all we have and it will work.”

“I’m sorry Sam, but I think Dean is right,” Jack backs him up. “It’s the only way."

Sam staggered back and took a seat.

“It’s happening whether you’re on board or not. I won’t sit by and let Chuck disappear the whole freakin’ world when I can do something about it,” Dean proclaimed, as he jammed a finger at the old spell book in front of him.

“You’re right,” Sam finally concedes.

They let it sink in.

“If we can get them back, if you can get them all back, it will be well worth it Sammy.”

“How do we even know for sure it will be there?” Sam asked.

Dean fixed him with a stare. “Because if it’s not we’re screwed.”

When Sam finally nodded that he was in, Dean went to get the key to Death’s library.

They opened the door to death’s library and stepped in. Prepared for anything. But found no one. They search, but nothing.

“So Chuck really did snap all the reapers?” Dean said.

“It looks like it,” said Sam.

Dean searched down the aisles and made his way to Death’s desk. On it sat one thing, aheavy black metal ring. Dean approached slowly and reached out to take it, picking it up with ease and letting it sit in the palm of his hand.

“That’s it? It was that easy?” Dean asked looking around.

“It is for a bunch of guys with a key to the place and no reapers to defend it.”

Then they went back to the bunker and prepared for the hard part.

Sam pulled out ingredients for the spell, while Jack painted the sigil on the floor, dipping the brush in the bright red, still warm blood, held in the golden bowl.

Dean pressed a bandage over the open cut on his arm as he went to gather the five different bloods they needed. They had all but one in the bunker storage freezer.

He took the four jars to the library and Sam asked. “Is that everything?”

“Not yet.” Dean said.

Dean went to his room and opened the closet door. The green jacket was front and center. Cas’s blood had oxidized to a dingy brown over the right shoulder. He took it off the hanger and gripped it tightly, the hand print facing out. Then he swept it over his head and slid the jacket on.

Sam and Jack had everything set up. When Dean walked back in, Sam looked at the hand print on his jacket. He nodded, in recognition and handed Dean a white handkerchief with a smear of each of the four other bloods. Dean tucked it deep into his jacket pocket.

“You ready?” Sam asked.

“Probably not.”

Sam handed him the ring and Dean went to the center of the sigil on the floor. He slid the ring on his finger, pulled out a knife and gave Sam the nod to start. Sam hesitated then, tightened his jaw and read the text aloud, an ancient language poured out of him.

With every line the lights in the bunker dimmed. Sam’s chest tightened, but he pushed on. Dean stood at the center of the sigil painted in his own blood. The bunker went dark and the only light was from the candle Sam held to see the text. He almost stopped reading before the last line, just to stop what was happening, but he knew he couldn’t. Sam yelled out the last line and Dean plunged the blade deep into his own gut, pulling it up and twisting it.

A tear ran down Sam’s face and he closed his eyes tight.

The lights of the bunker flicked back on and the sigil was empty. Jack and Sam looked around. Then a shock waved tossed them off their feet. Dean was back, standing the the center of the sigil, dressed inall black and a scythe in his right hand.

Cut to black.

Back in the Bunker-

It was the only way, with just the three of them left someone had to step in and become death. And they needed Jack if they were going to get the rest of the world back, which left it down to Sam and Dean. Sam argued but there was no way Dean would ever let him do it, it was always going to be dean.

“So, how does it feel?” Sam asked.

Dean thought it over. He looked at his hand, opening and closing his fist. “Different than I expected.” He spun the scythe in his other hand, then gave it a few good two handed swings.

“Different how?”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s not like when I wore the ring before. It doesn’t feel like a cruel or hateful job. I don’t know man, it feels like… a mercy.”

Sam’s brows went up, not sure what to make of that.

Death Dean let the base of his scythe clunk back on the floor. “Well, I guess it’s time to reap God.”

#

A Forest, Night-

Death Dean pulled Baby off the dirt road to a clearing just at the edge of a lake. He parked her and switched the lights off. Even with his change, it felt right to have baby carry them into one last battle.

“You think he’ll show,” Sam asked as they all got out.

“We’re they only thing left, why wouldn’t he?”

“Hey guys.” Chuck was on the other side of the clearing.

All three of them went tense.

Chuck, walked casually towards them. “I got to say, valiant effort. That one last hail marry, and the sacrifice it took.” He directed a slow clap at Dean. “Bravo. But it won’t work.”

“Why don’t you come here and we’ll see about that.” Dean said, his fists tightly balled.

Chuck looked around. “You know what, this setting is a little gloomy.” He snapped his fingers and instantly night transformed to day. Chuck was even closer now. “There we go,” he said, motioning at Dean. “Now we get a look at him. Black on black plaid, how on brand for you.”

Dean opened his right hand at his side and his scythe materialized there. He gripped it and lunged at Chuck, who vanished. Dean whipped around to look for him. He reappeared behind Sam, kicking him in the back of the legs and dropping Sam to his knees. Dean rushed forward but Chuck grabbed Sam by the neck, stopping Dean in his tracks.

“Dean do it!” Sam yelled.

“Yeah Dean, do it, and watch little Sammy die,” Chuck mocked.

“Take the swing Dean,” Sam said wincing in pain at Chucks grip.

Dean hesitated. It was so deeply ingrained in him to protect Sam, he felt frozen.

“Or!” Chuck held up a finger. “You could make it up to me.”

“What?”

“Since you ruined my ending maybe you help me with another.” Chuck cocked his head to the side, looking at Jack. “You been juicing up, haven’t you?”

Jack’s eyes were wide.

“You’re not too powerful but I can feel a little something brewing in there. Can’t have that,” Chuck said.

Sam tried to move but Chuck tightened his grip then turned back to Dean.

“Kill Jack and I’ll let Sam go.”

Jack’s eyes darted between Chuck and Dean.

“I’ll put everyone back, even Cas,” Chuck tempted. “And all you have to do is reap the little Lucifer spawn.”

Dean gripped the scythe in both hands, strain on his face. He took a step towards Jack.

“Dean no,” Sam snapped. Chuck gave him a shake.

He took another step towards Jack. Then asked Chuck, “And after that you’ll leave us alone? No more games no more of your stories. Sam and I get to be free?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry Jack, but it’s time to make all this right.” Dean said.

As he walked forward, Dean flicked his eyes to Sam, giving him the tiniest nod, signaling him.

They only had seconds, they all had to move simultaneously. Sam called out a single word incantation and a light shot from him to Jack.

Jack's eyes glowed with the power up, he turned his gaze on Chuck, holding him in place.

And Dean, swung his scythe.

Chuck’s head dropped to the ground next to Sam. The body still stood, leaching power like golden smoke. It slithered toward Jack, who breathed in every bit of it.

Sam fell forward. The power drain had only lasted five seconds, but it was enough to leave him exhausted and gasping.

When all the power had drained from Chuck to Jack the body dropped. Dean stood over it, scythe in hand, almost unsure it was really over. Then he heard Sam coughing. The scythe vanished and he rushed to his side.

Jack was still a glow and walked over to touch Sam’s forehead. Instantly Sam was recovered. Jack’s glow faded. “Thank you,” he said with a smile.

“It’s really done?” Dean asked.

Jack nodded. “Yes it’s done.” He took a deep breath and became lit with power again. A pulse of that light rippled out from him like a shock wave. Then he dimmed again, staggering on his feet.

Dean and Sam came to his sides.

“What was that?” Sam asked.

Jack straitened up and smiled at them, “They are back, all the people Chuck disappeared. Bobby and the others are at the silo and Eileen is waiting for you Sam.”

Sam’s face was elated and tears brimmed his eyes. He turned and headed for the Impala, then stopped when he realized either Dean nor Jack was following.

“Come on guys we got to go, they are waiting,” he urged them. “What are you doing?”

Jack walked over to Sam. “I have other responsibilities now. But, thank you, for always believing I could be good.” Jack, looked at Sam with a grateful smile. Then turned to tell Dean, “I’ll give you two a few minutes alone.”

Dean nodded.

Jack turned back to Sam. “Goodbye Sam.”

“Goodbye Jack,” Sam said holding back tears.

And Jack vanished.

Leaving Sam alone with his brother. Dean wore a sorrowful look, but walked over to his baby brother, enthusiastically gripping his shoulder. “We did it Sammy.”

Sam was finding it hard to celebrate. “What now?”

“Now, you can actually live. Go find Eileen and finally be free.”

“What about you?” Sam asked.

Dean looked down and twisted the ring on his finger. “I have a job to do. There are people out there hurting and I can take that away. I know Death seemed like a dick before but there is a purpose for it. And I can’t ignore that now.” Dean pulled something from his pocket and pressed it into Sam’s hand.

Sam turned his palm over and found the keys to Baby. A tear fell from his eye.

“Will I get to see you again?” He asked.

Dean pulled him in to a big brother hug, that way Sam couldn't see how sad he really was. “Yeah, you’ll be seeing me again.” They broke away from the hug but Sam couldn’t seem to move away from Dean. Then Sam’s phone rang, it was a video call from Eileen. Dean told him to go.

Dean watched as his only family and only home drove off toward the life they deserved.

When Dean wiped his face and turned around Jack was back.

“Hey,” Dean said. “You did good.”

“Thank you, it feels strange. But also like I was always meant to be this way.”

“Good,” Dean nodded. He wanted to asked the question, but was afraid to. He cleared his throat. “When you brought everyone back, did um, is Cas…?”

Jack looked at the ground. “No.”

“Why? You can, can’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe? He’s come back from there before.”

“There are factors Dean.”

“Factors?”

“Yes, bringing all those disappeared people back expended a lot of energy. I’ll need to rest before I do anything huge. Over time I’ll become as strong as Chuck but I’m still adapting. And there are other things to consider.”

“Like what?”

“I found Cas, just now when I left, in the empty. He was asleep, at peace.”

Dean didn’t know what to say, he’d just assumed Cas was suffering.

Jack went on, “You have duties in this world now Dean, Death is a busy guy. You have to consider if you want Cas pulled out of his peaceful end and for what reason.”

Dean’s shoulders dropped and he looked around for an answer that could only be found internally.

“And you’re sure he’s not suffering?”

Jack smiled. “Not suffering at all, at peace.”

Dean sighed heavily, “We should leave him there. But if I ever see that Empty bitch again we are gonna have words.”

“I’m sure you will. But be careful, it took down the last death.” Jack looked up to the sky. “I have to go now. Goodbye Dean.”

“Goodbye Jack.”

Jack was gone.

Dean stood alone at the edge of the lake. Taking this one moment to feel Chuck’s life for him come to an end. Then he took a deep breath and his scythe appeared in his hand.

Cut to black.

#

Fifty years later-

Dean arrived on the dark street, not having aged a day. He made his way down the street, lined with family homes and stoped in front of one in particular. It had a large window in the front and inside a big family was sitting down to dinner. Couples and children lined both sides of the table. And at the head, sat one, very tall, grey haired patriarch.

Sam was in his late eighty’s and the Winchester line had been secured with three children, seven grand children and four point five great grand children. Not all of them in “the life”, but a few, and you might say they were a very prepared family. Not even Sam and Eileen in their twilight years were totally out of the game. Sam being the foremost expert in basically anything supernatural, he still fielded calls from hunters all over the world.

Dean watch the family, laughing and eating. Still a little shocked they were all Winchesters. He closed his eyes and called to the empty. “It’s time,” he said, in his low gravelly voice. The ground beside him gurgled black goo and it arrived as Meg, surly and irritated, as he expected.

“This better be the real deal Winchester. I hate coming here,” it said.

“It is,” he snarled at it. “I just need to know you’re going to hold up your end of the deal.”

“I always hold up my bargains, you should know that better than anyone.”

He glared at it. “Good.”

“Have fun in there,” it said, before melting back through the ground.

Dean patiently waited, watching them eat, visit and slowly trickle out to their respective homes. The evening was done. Old Sam was moving through the house turning off lights and locking doors.

Sam double checked the lock on the front door and turned, Dean appeared before him. Sam wasn’t caught off guard or startled. He broke into a broad smile, Dean looked exactly as he remembered. Sam’s smile made Dean feel he could do the same.

“Heya Sammy,” Dean said.

“It’s good to see you.” They shared a crushing hug.

When they broke away Sam saw Dean struggling to hold it together.

“I’m sorry I gotta be here man. I put it off as long as I could.” Dean apologized.

Sam laughed. And boy had Dean missed that laugh.

“Dean, no one is supposed to live forever. I’ve actually been waiting for you.”

“You have?” Dean looked at him confused.

“I saw the doctor last week, he said he was surprised my heart held out this long. I figured you had something to do with that.”

Dean just nodded and looked down, sheepishly.

The room was quiet. Both of them just wanting to be together a little while longer.

“Thank you Dean.” Sam said.

Dean gave a small scoff.

“Really,” Sam went on. “We went through a lot, but if not for you I never would have become who I am. It’s been a good life, and you gave me that.”

Dean smirked.

Sam moved to a chair and sat down slowly. “I’m ready.”

Dean sniffed up his tears and walked over to Sam. Gently raising his hand to touched Sam’s forehead.

“Love you Sammy,” he said. Then Death reaped Sam Winchester.

#

The empty-

There was only blackness in every direction Dean looked. But when he spun to look again, Castiel was there.

“Dean? How? No,”

“Don’t worry I’m not here to stay,” Dean assured him.

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t have a lot of time, but I have to say somethings to you. I’m sorry Cas.”

“Dean I…”

“Just let me say this. I’ve been practicing for fifty years.”

The words “fifty years” made Cas cock his head, but he stayed silent. 

Dean went on, “I’m sorry you sacrificed yourself for me. But thank you, for seeing who I am even when I didn’t. Thank you for loving me enough to see that. I’m sorry if I caused you any unhappiness or pain all those years on earth.”

“Dean…” Cas stepped forward.

But Dean half raised a hand to cut him off again. “And last of all I’m sorry I never said it. I love you, Cas.”

Cas smiled, knowing Dean must have done something incredibly brave, or more likely incredibly stupid, probably both, to be standing before him now. It was Dean’s way of reciprocating as best he could.

Cas stepped a little too close, knowing it sometimes made Dean uncomfortable. But now, after all this time Dean was comforted by the old familiar feeling of Cas invading his personal space.

“I’m not sorry for any of those things, you shouldn’t be either. If I could go back I’d do it all the same. In the end it didn’t feel like a sacrifice at all. And being in the empty isn’t like before. It’s sleep, and it’s rest. Peace like I have never known.”

Dean cleared his throat, keeping the emotions from taking over his face. “I’ve really missed you man.”

Empty Meg appeared close by. “Times up lovers.”

Dean gave it an irritated look and Cas gave a small laugh.

“At least until the next Winchester falls. Now it’s time to go back to sleep,” it said.

Cas looked at Dean confused.

“Give us a second,” Dean snapped, then added a “please.”

Empty Meg rolled it’s eyes, and vanished again.

Dean explained the deal he struck with the Empty nearly fifty years before. He could let Cas sleep, undisturbed. Or when the time came and a Winchester was reaped, he could bring them here, no heaven, no hell, just the eternal peaceful sleep the empty provided, then the Empty would allow them a few minutes to see each other.

Cas tried not to look horrified at the realization Dean was now death. He looked inside Dean, and found the turmoil he once carried in him was gone. Some how the job had brought him understanding and balance, and that eased Cas.

The visits would be few and far between but an existence of peaceful sleep and being woken up occasionally by Dean Winchester was the best afterlife Castiel could think of.

Cas nodded with a smile. “I’ll just wait here then.” 

Dean hugged him, grateful to know there would be one familiar face he would always have to come back to, no matter how long he was Death. And that, would be a very long time.

Because of Sam, the Winchester line grew far beyond what the brothers ever thought possible. And because of Dean, the Winchesters became known for living extraordinarily long lives, even the hunters. But when one did pass, usually well beyond their eightieth birthdays, Death got to see his Angel.


End file.
